On Thursday 27 November YURLU | COUNTRY was announced as the winner of the 2025 Walkey Documentary Award. This award recognises excellence in documentary production that is grounded in the principles of journalism – accuracy, impact, public benefit, ethics, creativity, research and reporting – together with rigorous filmmaking. Written and Executive Produced by Banjima Elder, Maitland Parker, this win for YURLU | COUNTRY, is dedicated to the Parker family and the Banjima comm

A collaboration between FIFDH and UN Human Rights, a selection of films are screened every year around International Human Rights Day on 10 December. These events bring together activists, NGOs, teachers, students, journalists and the general public, inviting them to watch films about human rights and exchange views. The Human Rights Film Tour has travelled to more than 60 countries, from Sri Lanka to Nicaragua and Bhutan. The legacy of Wittenoom can no longer be hidden. It’s

Nearly four decades after first taking on the fight against asbestos contamination in Wittenoom, renowned litigator Peter Gordon from Gordon Legal has joined our campaign to #CleanUpWittenoom. Read Charlie McLean’s article on Peter Gordon’s commitment to this important cause, now live on ABC News: Read Now John and Peter Gordon have been involved in the history of Wittenoom for nearly 40 years. (ABC News: Patrick Rocca)

WA Premier Roger Cook has given the strongest indication of any government to date that work could be undertaken to address Wittenoom’s asbestos tailings to prevent further spread into the environment.

Yurlu | Country will be released in Australian cinemas nationwide on 13 November 2025. Ahead of the official release, there are special Q&A screenings in select locations, including Sydney (6 Nov), Perth (9–10 Nov), and Melbourne (12–13 Nov), featuring the director Yaara Bou Melhem, Banjima Traditional Owners, and guest speakers like Peter Garrett and Ernie Dingo.

Author: Tom Zaunmayr (Business News) The state government has been told on at least three occasions that asbestos fibres will leach further into the Pilbara landscape if Wittenoom’s tailings are not remediated. For six decades about three million tonnes of tailings dumped mostly by CSR Limited in the gorges around Wittenoom between 1948 and 1966 have sat uncontained and at risk of dispersal by wind and rain. It is a sensitive topic for the state government – in 10 years of

ABC News has published an article on the Wittenoom crisis, featuring the voices of Banjima Traditional Owners at the launch of Yurlu | Country, held at Tom Price's open-air cinema.

In a moving ABC interview, Banjima woman Johnnell Parker and filmmaker Yaara Bou Melhem shared the story behind Yurlu | Country, a documentary that chronicles the devastating impacts of Wittenoom and its continued harm on Traditional Owners and communities. The conversation shed light on the deep cultural and environmental wounds left by decades of asbestos mining, and the urgent need for justice and healing.

YURLU | COUNTRY marked its powerful debut to sold out sessions at Sydney Film Festival with the family of the late Maitland Parker, representatives from the Banjima Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (BNTAC) and other special guests in attendance including Peter Garrett of Midnight Oil and ‘Blue Sky Mine’-fame, a song about the ill-fated impacts of blue asbestos mining at Wittenoom.

Whether you’re familiar with Wittenoom’s history or learning about it for the first time, Yurlu | Country offers a perspective rarely seen in mainstream media. It’s not just a film—it’s a call to listen, learn, and honour the stories that continue to shape our understanding of land and legacy.

Banjima Traditional Owners and UN Special Rapporteur on Toxics and Human Rights, Marcos Orellana, came together for a meaningful panel discussion to talk about the impact of Wittenoom on Banjima people.